Read the newly published "The Reagan Diaries" if you want a true insight into the mind of the nation's 40th president.

The diaries -- written daily from 1981 until President Ronald Reagan left office in 1989 -- reveal him to be much more involved in the nitty gritty of national and world affairs than many White House reporters thought. He had often been portrayed as a detached, "chairman of the board" kind of president.

The diaries show that Reagan had something to say about everything and everybody; his thoughts were often summarized in one handwritten sentence. His notations mixed the profound with the trivial.

Historian Douglas Brinkley, who edited the publication of the diaries, had to toss out chunks to boil the entries down to a 696-page memoir. But no one is shortchanged.

Reagan comes across as deeper, funnier, more religious and more humble than he seemed when he was striding across the world stage. He is true to his public persona -- foe of communism, tax increases, organized labor and, often, the news media.

The diaries are replete with his devotion to his wife, Nancy, and his despair at being lonely when she was not around.

On July 6, 1983, Reagan said: "Nancy's birthday! Life would be miserable if there wasn't a Nancy's birthday. What if she'd never been born? I don't want to think about it."

Also revealing were his tensions with his children -- Ronald Reagan Jr., who he said was anxious to shed his Secret Service protection, and Patti, who Reagan said had a "yo-yo relationship" with the family, whatever that means.

A former Hollywood star, he was an avid movie fan. He chafed at having to wear a bulletproof vest. And he resented as a "d..n gross violation of privacy" the fact that he had to make public every gift, even those from his personal friends.

There were many serious notes about the Middle East, often followed by a reference to watching a movie or "watching the 'Waltons on TV' and so to bed."

Here's how Reagan recalled his thoughts after he was shot in the lung by John Hinckley on March 30, 1981, outside the Washington Hilton Hotel as he walked toward his limousine. He was rushed to George Washington University Hospital and wrote:

"I was getting less and less air. I focused on that tiled ceiling and prayed. But I realized I couldn't ask for God's help while at the same time I felt hatred for the mixed up young man who had shot me. Isn't that the meaning of the lost sheep?"

Unlike President Richard M. Nixon, he did not have an "enemies list" of members of the press, but he was often outraged with the news media.

When Richard Allen, his first national security adviser, was accused of accepting gifts from the Japanese government, Reagan wrote, "The press has really been a lynch mob and I don't think they will stop which is why he can't be back in N.S.C. (National Security Council)."

In another entry, Reagan says: "Press Conference day. I think it was a good one but the 'pack' was blood thirsty."

"The press isn't after news. They want to trap you in a goof," he said at another point.

On June 7, 1981, he wrote: "Got word on Israeli bombing of Iraq nuclear reactor. I swear I believe Armageddon is near."

He recorded his observations about friend and foe.

On Oct. 13, 1981, Reagan said he met with "J.C." -- former President Jimmy Carter -- adding: "I expected the worst, but he was cordial, friendly and just exchanged views on the Middle East, etc."

Reagan had a friendly relationship with House Speaker Thomas "Tip" O'Neill, D-Mass., but that did not stop him from getting angry.

"Just saw a fund-raising letter signed by Tip O'Neill for Dem. Cong. Committee," he said. "It is the most vicious pack of lies I've ever seen. It's aimed at Sr. Citizens & has me out to destroy Medicare & Social Security. We can't let him get away with this."

As a reporter having covered him for eight years in the White House, I am sure the press could have done a better job if we had known the real Ronald Reagan.

(Helen Thomas can be reached at the e-mail address hthomas@hearstdc.com).

Reagan was the LAST impressive Republican President. The others are something to be ashamed of for one reason or another ... Bush Sr. opening the door for abortion and this “big tent” crap. GWB ... immigration and destroying our country with ILLEGALS ... .

As a reporter having covered him for eight years in the White House, I am sure the press could have done a better job if we had known the real Ronald Reagan.

LOL, Helen, Helen, Helen. You were too busy hating everything about Reagan, lying about him and trying to destroy him. You had no time to really get to know the real Ronald Reagan, and I doubt you really care. But nice work at trying to revise history by pretending you gave a damn.

"All of us who covered the Reagan's agreed that President Reagan was personable and charming. But I'm not so certain he was nice. It's hard for me to think of anyone as nice when I hear him say The homeless are homeless because they want to be homeless.' To my mind, a President should care about all people, and he didn't, which is why I will always feel Reagan lacked soul."

Reagan was one of our best Presidents. Bush 41 did some good things, like how he handled the fall of the SU and the reunification of Germany. Of course, his agreement with RATS to raise taxes was a bad idea, just like Bush 43’s idea about immigration reform. Reagan had a vision and persevered to act on that vision. FDR was the last President with that, but he was a socialist. I fear that our next President will be a step down, even from Bush 43. It may be back to the future with Hillary?

Give her a break. The word “yo-yo” wasn’t well known until it’s entry into American-Filipino Dictionaries in the 1860’s, so Madam Thomas would never have heard the toy referred to as such. Maybe her children had a few “yo-yos”, but she probably played with them as “bangalores” or “quizzes”.

Any praise she or any other Democrat media shill offers to Reagan now is intended solely as a criticism of Bush by comparison.

Very true. Still, this is the closest thing I’ve read to a good, factual column by Helen Thomas-— that is to say, not everything in it other than “Helen” and “Thomas” is an out and out falsehood.

That's a serious shock (to me), almost on the level of when Maureen Dowd inexplicably and uncharacteristically showed self-deprecating rather than nasty humor in relating teasing from her wise, solidly conservative Rush Limbaugh listening family in a column that was actually well written and fun to read.

37
posted on 06/25/2007 1:34:35 PM PDT
by mjolnir
("All great change in America begins at the dinner table.")

Also revealing were his tensions with his children -- Ronald Reagan Jr., who he said was anxious to shed his Secret Service protection, and Patti, who Reagan said had a "yo-yo relationship" with the family, whatever that means.

Hey Helen...you are the LAST person I would EVER take a recommendation from. I already know Ronald Reagan and who he was and what kind of man he was. Seems you are just finding out what a good man he was. So, I can think for myself and don’t need you to inform me of anything. Go back to the newsroom and ask some more silly/stupid questions.

"He is true to his public persona -- foe of communism, tax increases, organized labor and, often, the news media."

"As a reporter having covered him for eight years in the White House, I am sure the press could have done a better job if we had known the real Ronald Reagan."

Those two sentences are why Hell-un took the time to write. She is trying to excuse the hateful "reporting" of the press hounds (especially herself) by blaming Reagan for their refusing to know the real Ronald Reagan.

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